Monday, October 31, 2011

Snow?! Goodness, just last week we played outside without any coats. Now we're watching with awe and trepidation as our Northeast friends work to restore order after this weekend's freak October snowstorm. Winter is coming whether we want it to or not. Rather than focusing on the negatives, it's best to focus on the wonder. Here's a book that helps kids and adults discover the magic of winter!

Dainty snowflakes, snowmen with stick arms, sparkly snow angels ... those are the delightful sights of a razzle-dazzle snow day. An imaginative little girl named Ruby wakes up and can hardly contain her excitement as she gazes at the snow-covered world outside her window. All bundled up in her fabulous winter garb, she pretends she's a "gleaming-beaming" snow queen and joyfully embarks on a journey in her winter fairy tale world. She looks for her knight (her puppy, Rocket) and tries to avoid the evil ice prince with help from her nobleman friend, Sir Zac.

Author/Illustrator Masha D'yans knows exactly how to dazzle young readers. In Razzle-Dazzle Ruby she creates a magical and whimsical winter world with her splendid watercolor illustrations. The dainty snowflakes and cute Ruby in her striped red tights -- oh, it's a charming story for sure! And then, as if her gorgeous illustrations weren't enough, D'yans adds more magic by providing hands-on interactive play with some seriously cool pop-ups, pull-tabs and other moveable parts. Kids can help Ruby throw a snowball through the air, ice skate on a glistening pond, and make snow angels on the ground and more.

D'yans truly captures the childhood delights of a magical snowfall and my kids can't get enough of her impressive paper-engineered, enchanting snow world. This really is a winter experience you don't want to end! My kids want to jump into the book and embrace the snow-filled world with zeal along with Ruby. We wish there were more than just the ten interactive spreads to carefully explore (like other pop-ups, the book has a thick cover and thinner pages meant to be handled with care). Luckily, it won't be too long before we can play in our own, real snow-filled wonderland.

Our very favorite page in Razzle-Dazzle Ruby shows Ruby and Zac creating snow angels. Both my kids like to make their arms move back and forth using the pull tabs. Because we don't have any snow yet to play in, my son and I decided to create our own magical snow angel artwork. I taped a felt snow angel onto a piece of watercolor paper and encouraged my son to paint the entire picture with blue and purple watercolors. When he was finished we removed the felt snow angel and marveled at the resist art. Later on he added some sparkle glaze to add shimmer.

Add a little razzle-dazzle to your winter! Scholastic Press has kindly offered to give away a copy of Razzle-Dazzle Ruby to a Brimful Curiosities' reader.

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The illustrations look so sweet in the book!We like to sled down the hills in the pastures near our house. We don't get alot of snow here close to the Oregon Coast but when we do we take advantage of it to the fullest. My kids love it!lisa.otis6 at gmail dot com

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Brimful Curiosities is a mom blog/book blog featuring reviews and posts on children's books, music, educational products, toys and more. It's home to the weekly "Full to the Brim" Kid's Book Giveaway List. Occasionally it includes non-children related product and book reviews and personal postings.